anderson



o. A. ANDERSON New. 19, 1929.

MOTOR VEHICLE LOCK Original Filed June 2, 1921 Sheets-Sheet l GA AMBER 5mm O. A. ANDERSON I MOTOR VEHICLE LOCK Re. 17,489

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gngmal Filed June 2, 1921 TJE LGQ Reissuecl Nair. 1931929 UNITEDJSTAVTES PATENT OFFICE om AUseAn ANDERSON, or HAMILTOIiT, OHIO; TEE CITIZENS savmes BANK AND TRUST courm, Exnc'oron or SAID can AUSGAILVANDERSON, DECEASED MOTOR-VEHICLE LOCK Original No. 1,582,236, dated April 27 1926, Serial No. 474,510, filed June 2,1921. Application for reissue filed April 27, 1928.

lhis invention relates to locking devices for motor vehicles and more particularly to means for locking the transmission mechanism.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a locking device which will prevent the .vehicle from being driven or towed in the forward direction although permitting the vehicle to be driven or towed in the backward m direction. In this connection it is planned that the invention shall meet the condition,

that the vehicle must not be locked when standing at the curb of a street so that it cannot be moved in case; of an emergency such as lire. It is also contemplated to meet the condition that any locking device which merely prevents driving the vehicle by its own towed in the forward direction, it would be practically thief-proof because any attempt to tow a vehicle or drive it by its own motor in the backward direction for any distancewould immediately aronsepthe suspicionof trailic oflicers and others who might witness the atten1pt; .While a vehicle being towed in a forward direction would not necessarily arouse any suspicion ofitheft, (yet the towing of a vehicle backward woul immediately arouse such suspicion, particularly when it is known that 'vehiclesare locked against all but backward movement. My invention has the further advantage thatit will prevent backward rotation of the engine when starting and hence save the usual starting gear from the destructive efiects'that are sometimes occasioned by back-firing in starting the motor vehicle when the gearing is set for forward a movement. This is a safety provision that would prevent backward movement down a hill in case the vehicle engine stalled while Serial No. 273,410.

' is set.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of gear shift lever which, in combination with the other features of the invention, will accomplishthe re sults above set forth.

In nearly all motor vehicles being built today a propeller shaft and change gearing are provided for transmitting the power from the engine to the driving axle and in nearly all vehicles, except those that sell at the very lowest price, a so-called sliding-gear transmission is employed'which embodies an idler gear for driving the vehicle backward, and this idler gear is so arranged that in all normal positions of the mechanism it runs in the same vdirection. Specifically, my invention conslsts 1n the provision of means for preventing reverse rotation of this idler gear whenthe mechanism is locked in position to permit the vehicle to be driven backwards.-

Irhave illustrated one embodiment" of the invention in the accompanying drawings, of

which:

V Figure 1 is a somewhat-diagrammatic elevation of the rear portionof a motor vehicle;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the sliding- -gear transmission mechanism with certain parts broken away to better illustrate the invention; h K Figure 3 is a transverse section of the transmission gearing on the line 33 of I Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the reverse idler gear with parts broken away to show the means for preventing backward rotation thereof;

Figure 5 is an axial section through the idler gear and its mounting, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Figure 6 is an enlargedaxial section of a gear shift lever embodying certain of the features of the invention, certain parts of v the view being shown in side elevation.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates the frame of the vehicle, 11 one of the driving wheels, 12'the rear axle, 13 the propeller shaft and 14 the casing in which the transmission. gearing is housed. While the invention is not limited to any particular form of transmission gearing, I have illustrated it in connection with that type of transmission gearing which is adapted for driving the vehicle at three different forward speeds and one reverse speed. In this mechanism there are two.sliding-gears,-15 and 16, one of which is actuated by an arm 17 on the sliding rod 18 and the other of which is actuated by an arm 19-on the, sliding rod 20. The gear 15 is adapted to be moved into mesh with the gear 21.0n the countershaft 22, the'gear 21 being rigidly connected with a gear 23 so as v to rotate with the latter which is, in turn,

28 which is peller shaft 13, will be 40,

rotated by a gear 24, driven bythe motor of the vehicle, in the usual manner. The gear 16 is adapted to slide into mesh with the gear which-is also rigidly connected with the gear 23, or tobe interlocked with the gear 24 in the well known manner, so as to be driven directly by the latter. I

The gear 15 is also adapted to be moved into mesh with the idler gear 26, on the shaft 27,-which is constantly rotated by the gear also rigidly connected with the gear 23. The gear 23, being constantly rotated in the same direction by the motor of the vehicle, the gear 26 will be likewise constantly rotated by the motor and this direction of rotation is indicated by the arrow on Fig; 4. When the gear 15 is in mesh with the gear 21 or the gear 16 is in mesh with-the gear 25 or interlocked with the gear 24, the shaft 29, which is connected with the pro-' rotated in one direction, whereas when; the gear 15 is in mesh with'the idler gear 26, the shaft 29 will be rotated in the reverse direction and this is the arrangement for propelling the vehicle backwards.

While the gear 26 is rotated by the motor only in one direction, if the gear 15 is in mesh therewith and thevehicle is moved in .the forward direction, the direction of rotawould be reversed and,

tion of the gear 26 therefore, byproviding means for automatically preventing such reverse rotation of the gear 26 I am able to prevent the vehicle from being moved in the forward direction. I Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 it will be observed that the shaft 27 is supported in the brackets 30 and 31 on the casing 14 and prevented from rotation by the pins 27 and that the idler gear 26 is arranged between the brackets 30 and 31. The gear 26, in'the form of the invention illustrated,,is provided with the pockets 32 for balls 33'which constitute an ordinary ball ratchet which permits rotation of the gear 26 in the direction ofthe arrow on Fig. 4 but prevents reverse rotation n a broad sense the balls 33 are rollers, and

is mounted in the spherical with their associated parts they comprise a roller clutch. Devices of other forms than that illustrated for preventing backward rotation of the gear26 may be provided and it will be understood that the ball ratchet device shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is merely for the purpose of illustrating the principles of my invention without the.intention on my part to limit the scope of the patent to this particular type of ratchet device. In view of the fact that the idler 26 is constantly rotated by the motor and is prevented from backward rotation it will have the effect of preventing backward rotation of the motor of the Vehicle and thereby eliminate the troubles that have resulted in the usual starting gear of the motor by back-firing and a sudden reversal of the direction of rotation of the motor.

In case the motor of the vehicle should stall while driving the vehicle up grade, any

backward movement of the vehicle wouldv reverse the idler 26 and lock it to the shaft 27 which would instantly stop the backward movement of the vehicle and thus act as a safety device.

While the prevention of backward rotation of the gear 26 will effectively prevent a vehicle from being moved in the forward direction, yet, in order to render the vehicle thief-proof, it is necessary to provide means for locking the transmission gearing with the gear 15 in mesh with the gear 26. This I accomplish by means'of ,a gear shift lever such as illustrated in Fig. 6 although I may use, in place of the lever illustrated in F ig'. 6, one of the forms of lever illustrated in my copending application No. 464,131, filed April 25,4921. In the lever illustrated in Fig. 6,

as well-as in the forms illustrated inmy said co-pending application, there are two sec- 3 tions which in Fig. 6 are represented by the parts 34 and 35, the part 34 having a ball end 36 which is received in the socket 37 of the section 35. The section 34 is adapted to i be operatively connected with the rods 18 and 20 in the usual manner, for the purpose of the section 35 has a spherical exterior which casing 14 so that the section'35 is adapted seat 38 of the gear shifting the gears 15 and 16. The end/37 of for universal movement in this seat. Likewise the ball and socket connection between the. sections .34 and 35 permits relative universal movement of these sections when they are not locked together as will be now described. r

The section 34 is provided with an axial bore 39 in which there is tumbler 40 and a spring 41 which, as will be readily understood from the drawing, presses the pin 40 upwardly and holds it in the opening 42 therefor in the section 35. When the pin 40 is in the position shown in Fig. 6 the sections 34 and 35 are rigidly se-' arranged a pin on rotatable knob 49, in the same manner as in cured together so that they move as a unit but when the pin 40 is pushed down out of engagement with the section 35, the latter may be freely moved without moving the section 34. For the purpose of disconnecting the pin 40 from the section 35 I have provided a plunger 43 which is normally pressed downwardly against the pin 40 by the spring 44 which should be considerably stronger than the spring 41 so-as to overcome the latter when it is desired to force thepin 40 out of engagement with the section 35. A rod 45 is connected with the plunger 43 and carries at its upper end a transversely extending pin 46, the-ends of which are arranged in the spiral slots 47 and 48 on the interior of the the constructions illustrated in my aforesaid co-pending application. By rotating the knob 49 it is possible to raise and lower the plunger 43 and thereby either force the pin 40 out of engagement with the section 35 or permit the pin to enter the opening 42 therefor when the sections are in proper alignment. The knob 49 should be provided with means for locking it against rotation when the pin40 is disconnected from the sec tion 35, thereby making it impossible to actuate the section 34 and shift the gears 15 and 16. The means for locking the knob 49 are fully described and claimed in my aforesaid co-pending application audit is, therefore, deemed unnecessary to enter into a detailed description of this feature of the device in this application. It will also be understood that any means for locking the knob 49 with the sections 34 and of the lever disconnected, would accomplish the purpose although I prefer the form of locking device described in my aforesaid co-pending application.

In using the invention when it is desired to lock the vehicle, the gear 15 will be shifted into mesh with the gear 26 and then the knob 49 actuated todisconnect the sections 34 and 35 of the lever and then locked. This will set the mechanism so that the gear 15 "cannot l e shifted out of mesh with the gear 26 and therefore prevent the vehicle from being driven in the forward direction.

For the purpose ofholding the sections 34. and 35-of the lever, in their normal, connected relation, I providea sleeve 50 on the exterior of the section 34 which will have its flange 51 pressed against the open end of the socket 37 by the spring 52, the lower end of which is carried b a collar 53 pinned to the section 34. This feature of the mechanism is also described and claimed in my aforesaid co-pending application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: a

1. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the driving wheels and transmission gears for rotating said wheels so as'to propel the vehicle either forward or backward, saidgears including one that rotates in the same direction whether thevehicle is propelled by said gearing either forward or backward, a nonrotatable shaft on which said gear rotates, and means for locking said gear to said shaft to automatically prevent reverse rotation thereof.

2. In a motor vehicle, the combination of 'a propeller shaft, a non-rotatable shaft, a reversing gear on said shaft rotatable by the vehicle motor in but one direction, a shiftable gear for operatively connecting said reversing gear with said, propeller shaft, means for shifting said shiftable gear, means for rendering said shifting means inoperable when said shiftable gear is in mesh with said reversing gear, and means operable to lock said reversing gear to said non-rotatable shaft to automatically prevent backward rotation of said reversing gear when operatively connected with said propeller shaft.

3. A transmission for a motor vehicle comprising, in combination, a driven element rotating in the same direction, in whichever direction the vehicle is driven, and means rendered immediately efiective by any reverse rotation of said element to prevent further reverse rotation.

4. A transmission for a motor vehicle comprising, in combination, a driven element rotating in the same direction, in whichever direction the vehicle is driven, and a one-way clutch device rendered immediately effective with practically no lost motion by any reverse rotation of said element to prevent fur ther reverse rotation.

'5. A transmission for a motor vehiclecomprising, in combination, a driven element rotating in the same direction, in whichever direction the vehicle is driven, and an over-runmng roller clutch for preventing reverse rotation of said element with substantially no lost motion.

6. A vehicle transmission comprising, in combination, a driving shaft rotating in a given direction and a countershaft driven therefrom in a given direction, a driven shaft selectively rotated by the driving shaft and the countershaft at different speeds and in op "opposite directions while the driving shaft and countershaft are each rotating in one direction, and means operatively connected with both the driving shaft and the countershaft to prevent reverse rotation thereof.

8. A vehicle transmission comprising, in combination, a supporting shaft held against rotation, a'change-speed gear member rotatably mounted on said shaft, and means engaging the shaft and said member and preventing rotation of said member in one direction.

9. A vehicle transmission comprising, in combination, a supporting shaft held against rotation, a change-speed gear member rotatably mounted on said shaft, and a one-way clutch device between the shaft and said member and preventing rotation of said member in one direction. a

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my slgnature.

.OLAF AUSGAR ANDERSON. 

